Football: a club ordered to pay 850,000 euros to its ex-goalkeeper

Stéphane Ruffier sous le maillot de l'AS Saint-Etienne MAXPPP – NICOLAS GOISQUE

The Saint-Etienne industrial tribunal ruled that the termination of the employment contract for "serious misconduct” was unfounded. of former international goalkeeper Stéphane Ruffier and ordered ASSE (L2) to pay him more than 850,000 euros in compensation, AFP learned on Monday from this court.

This compensation includes 609,000 euros that AS Saint-Etienne is ordered to pay to its former goalkeeper for this "early termination of the fixed-term contract". This sum rises to just over 850,000 euros with damages for harm linked to the "disproportionate disciplinary sanction" which had been notified to him, as well as the compensation linked to the "cancelled layoffs" of the 2nd half of 2020 and paid leave.

The international goalkeeper (3 caps) was fired at the end of 2020, six months before the end of his contract, following calls to order and disciplinary sanctions for alleged insubordination. Ruffier was then the goalkeeper of Saint-Etienne, who played in Ligue 1, for almost a decade (383 matches played).

A "very good decision" according to the player's lawyer

"It's a very good decision which recognizes the disproportionate disciplinary sanctions and the unfounded dismissal for serious misconduct", reacted to the AFP l& #39;player's lawyer.

During the hearing, Me Dorothée Bisaccia-Bernstein denounced the employer's desire to isolate" Ruffier until the termination of his employment contract. She had requested a total of more than 7 million euros in compensation.

Le Conseil des prud'hommes de Saint-Étienne a jugé non-fondée la rupture du contrat de travail pour "faute grave" de l'ancien gardien international Stéphane Ruffier et condamné le club du Forez à lui verser plus de 850.000 euros de dédommagements.https://t.co/m8HtwVvqkJ

— RMC Sport (@RMCsport) January 15, 2024

The lawyer had mentioned a "long period of moral harassment carried out by coach Claude Puel and general manager Xavier Thuilot, who had the mission to downsize the payroll and to fire the players who cost the most.

For her, Stéphane Ruffier suffered "a demolition company", "an undermining campaign" and he ended up quitting football after getting his face smashed.

"The club has taken note of the decision rendered by the Industrial Tribunal and is waiting to receive notification of it to consider further action", for its part declared to the ' #39;AFP the council of ASSE.

A "refractory behavior" depending on the club

Me Olivier Martin, the club's lawyer, responded at the hearing by accusing the goalkeeper, named on several occasions "best goalkeeper in Ligue 1" , of having abused his status as darling of ASSE supporters. He had mentioned "refractory behavior in complete opposition to the coach's directives from February 2020", claiming that'he arrived "deliberately late for the&# 39;training to show who (…) is the boss.

Stéphane Ruffier in the jersey of AS Saint-Etienne MAXPPP – NICOLAS GOISQUE

"It's Stéphane Ruffier who sparks the controversy with a press campaign led by his agent Patrick Glanz aimed at destroying ASSE. Because, from the height of his excessive ego, he couldn't stand being a substitute during a match, he said.